Candice Swanepoel shows off her sporty side on the cover of Self as she reveals she nearly quit modeling after being pressured to lose weight

Victoria's Secret Angel Candice Swanepoel wants the world to know that modeling is not only difficult - it's a full-body workout that requires the physical and mental stamina of a professional athlete.

The 26-year-old stunner, who shows of her sporty side in a pair of navy high-waisted briefs and a white sports bra on the new cover of Self, explained that she takes her fitness seriously because she is often working 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

Candice also revealed in the magazine's March issue that she once considered quitting modeling as a teen because she was lonely and resented constantly being told she needed to lose weight.

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Sports star: Victoria's Secret Angel Candice Swanepoel poses with a volleyball in a pair of high-waisted briefs on new cover of Self

Wow them in white like Candice in a simple sports bra

Candice Swanepoel stole the spotlight on the cover of Self magazine while sporting a bright white sports bra by Victoria's Secret.

The gym-wear was converted into a bikini top when paired with black, high-waisted, cut out bikini bottoms.

Mix and match your own gym and beach wardrobes by purchasing a fresh white sports bra from our edit below and pair it with the bikini bottoms of your choice for a personal take on sporty chic on your next vacation.

We've selected a diverse mix of simple white sports bras to flatter any shape. They would look equally alluring with a pair of board-shorts as they would with a long flowing sarong.

Don't forget to pack the self-tanner and lots of sunscreen - a bit of glowing skin makes this white hot look a real winner.

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Sunny disposition: The 26-year-old model, who said she often works on swim shoots from sunrise to sunset, showed off her sporty side in the magazine's latest issue

Strike a pose: Candice impressively holds her long limbs up in the air while balancing on a rock for this shot

And while most people go home to relax after a grueling work day, she goes to the gym for a full-body workout.

'I'm an athlete. I use every single muscle, especially my core and arms, when I pose,' she said. 'It's so important for me to feel strong.'

She added: 'When I have a show or a specific shoot coming up, I train for it full on, like an athlete would train for a game.'

According to Candice, swimsuit modeling wasn't always this strenuous.

Groundbreaking: Candice is the first woman to model the soon-to-be-released Apple watch (pictured) on the cover of a US magazine

Beach babe: The South African beauty shows off her muscles in this shot, wearing an athletic one-piece swimsuit as she runs through the surf

'It used to be that if you had a swim shoot, you'd go away for two weeks and spend the first four days getting a suntan,' she said. 'Now we work 12 hours a day, every day, and I can be on a plane every two days.'

She noted: 'It's almost like a chess game, where we're the pieces.'

Candice credits her discipline to growing up on a farm in South Africa and watching her father wake up at 4am to milk the cows.

'Africa is not for wussies,' she said. ‘It’s in our culture to be hard workers.’